Yes you got it. I was there a couple of years ago for some teaching. It is a city on two continents. That's the Ural river, so sturgeon in there and hence caviar. No brewery in Kazakhstan I was told so all the beer imported. A lot of Vodka though !
It's about 70 m below sea level and the flattest place I've ever seen, beyond the city nothing for thousands of kilometers.
Super friendly people, mostly Moslem but liberal, safest city I've ever walked around in. In the winter very cold and summer very hot. I went at the end of April beginning of May and it was perfect.
Worst thing I had there was fermented horses milk still gives me the judders thinking about it.
You have the board.